Healthy Habits to start in your 20s

 

Now that I’ve turned 30, I took the time to reflect on my 20s and how it went by, what I learned and wished I could have done differently. Based on my life experiences, today I would like to share some healthy habits to start in your 20s. 

 

It was 10 years ago, when I was a young energetic person excited about what I wanted out of life. I was fresh out of college and looking to build a career. I was unsure of the career path I wanted and was very naive about what it takes to be healthy and how finances work. 

 

Today, 10 years later, I am still somewhat of a young mind figuring things out as I go, but with more thought and wisdom. If you’re someone who’s in your late teen years, early, mid or even late 20s, I hope the following habits will help you become a better, stronger and smarter version of the person you’re meant to become. 

 

Below are some healthy habits I wished I had learned earlier in my 20s.

 

Healthy habits to start in your 20s

 

1. Learn to go to bed early

 

The 20s can be a time of fun and exploration. Hence a lot of us stay up late during this time in our lives. We meet up with friends and colleagues, go out for parties, etc and spend more time enjoying life. This can lead to the habit of sleeping late. But since youth is on our side, we may be able to have a normal day the next day even if we don’t get enough sleep.

 

However, when you start getting older you’ll start to realize that going to bed early is essential if you want to have a productive day on the next day. So try to make a habit of sleeping early starting in your 20s to carry this discipline to your 30s when you’ll need it. This doesn’t mean you have to always stay at home at night, but just to do it more mindfully.

 

2. Become a morning person

 

Another very important habit to start in your 20s is waking up early. By waking up early and becoming a morning person, you train your mind and body to be in harmony with the universal laws of day and night. 

 

Waking up early gives you the time required in the morning to work on yourself, plan for the day, and get more done. Waking up early is a habit practiced by most successful people in the world today.

 

3. Develop a morning routine

 

Once you make a habit of waking up early, now it’s time to develop a morning routine that works best for you. Depending on your goals and priorities in life, a morning routine may look different to each person. However, the general idea is to incorporate self care, exercise, mindfulness, nutrition and productivity into the morning routine.

 

A morning routine will help you stay focused, motivated and align your actions to your goals in life.

4. Start meditating

 

Meditation is finally getting the praise it deserves. It used to be rooted in eastern culture and mysticism in the past and associated with monkhood. However, now science has caught up and the results are amazing. 

 

Meditation has proven to provide a number of health benefits to practitioners all over the world. It’s been simplified and there are so many different types of amazing meditations that you can learn and practice today. It’s changed my life in the past 9 years of practicing it and I cannot recommend this enough. 

 

5. Have a cleaning routine

 

Who doesn’t love a clutter free and clean home? In today’s materialistic world, it’s just too easy to gather clutter and other things that make your home and living spaces messy. Cleaning may not sound like an enjoyable activity and it may never be something you enjoy.

 

But think about how you feel at home and when it’s clean and well organized. Learning to have a cleaning routine in your 20s can help you make cleaning a habit and ensure your living spaces are always clean and organized. This will help you feel good about your home and elevate your mood.

 

6. Start grocery shopping

 

When we are young, we may not see the importance of grocery shopping. Mostly because our parents in most cases take care of the household and everything is done for us. But starting to do your own grocery shopping can help you to understand what it takes to put food on the table, eat a healthy and clean diet, economize, and understand the value of money. 

 

7. Learn how to cook

 

It’s easy to just order food. After all, there are just so many restaurants and takeaways in every neighborhood and you don’t have to cook. But if you really want to learn a life skill that everyone should know, make an effort to start cooking some meals at home. Not only will it help you plan your diet and eat healthy but also save money that you can invest for the future. 

 

If you’re worried because you have zero skill in cooking don’t worry. Today there are tons of recipes online and step-by-step lessons on YouTube about cooking. Try to begin by cooking something simple and work your way up. You might be better than you think.

8. Exercise regularly

 

When we’re young, we have the energy to pull through bad habits due to our youth. So you may not feel that exercise is that important at this stage. However, if you live a sedentary lifestyle long enough combined with a poor diet and bad habits such as smoking and drinking, your health will start to decline pretty fast.

 

So why not start early and ensure future health and wellness by making exercise a habit? You don’t have to sign up for an expensive gym membership. Start by going for a jog a few times a week or even going for a walk. You can also do a calisthenic workout at home sometimes or go to play a sport that you enjoy. The most important thing is to stay active and train on a regular basis.

 

9. Quit smoking and limit drinking

 

The 20s is an age when we meet new people, develop new friendships, and socialize a lot. It’s usually before we have bigger responsibilities like building a family, finding your own place to live, etc. So we tend to spend a big amount of money on entertainment. If you are already a smoker, try to give up this bad habit. Think about how much money you are wasting and read about all the negative chemicals you’re inhaling. By thinking about all the reasons to quit smoking, I was finally able to give it up at the age of 27 after more than a decade of smoking. 

 

Taking note of how much money you’re spending on alcohol is another important thing you should do. While it’s totally okay to have a drink with your tribe when you’re out, be mindful and limit the amount of occasions you’re drinking. Make it something special and enjoyable.

 

10. Become a reader

 

Reading is one of the best habits you can cultivate in your 20s. There is so much to be learned from the vast amount of amazing books written by some of the best minds this world has seen. Whatever subject you’re interested in, there are so many great books you can read to enrich your knowledge and gain wisdom. 

 

If you would like to learn more about building this habit, read my posts on the reading habits of successful people and the best books to read for success.

 

11. Learn your self-worth

 

When you’re young, you may not be aware of your self-worth. You may settle for less than what you deserve and find yourself unhappy quite often. This can happen in the workplace, in relationships, and even in your family life. By being more aware of who you are and how your contribution helps any situation, you can start to say no to people and things that don’t offer you any value. 

12. Start saving

 

When we finish our student life and start earning a living, it may be very tempting to buy all the things we couldn’t afford as a student. And buying nice things that you need and can afford is totally okay. But learning how to not spend all your money on things is more important. 

 

When you start earning, start by saving a portion of whatever is possible before you make your budget. When you get paid each month, deduct all the monthly expenses like utilities and then save a small amount before you decide how much you have to spend on luxuries like eating out, shopping, etc. This will allow you to develop this habit at a young age and understand how money works.

 

13. Start investing

 

In today’s world, just saving money is not enough. If you didn’t already know, the best savings accounts in the world do not offer a good enough interest rate for you to grow the money you are saving. Whatever you’re saving needs to work for you and grow.

 

If you’re new to investing like me, that’s okay. There are a lot of resources online as well as consultants who can help you buy stocks, and eventually invest in real estate as well. You do not need to worry yourself right now if you’re just getting started as a young adult. But take the time to learn about investing and how to grow the money that you work so hard for. 

 

14. Start planning for your future 

 

Planning for your future is something that you should start in your 20s and continue to do so throughout your life. This means having a plan by writing it up and understanding that this plan is meant to be changed as your life progresses. 

 

Start by writing down what you want to do as a career, such as getting your dream job or building your own business, fitness and health goals, family goals, travel goals, etc. Having some sort of a plan even if it may never be complete or definite, will help you stay on track, measure success, stay motivated, and improvise when needed.

 

So there it is, 14 healthy habits I wish I had learned earlier in my 20s. I am grateful I had eventually learned all of these after realizing how many mistakes I had made. But maybe that’s how you learn sometimes. You don’t have to make all the mistakes that I have made. Be mindful and understand that your 20s structure your life and prepare you for all the big responsibilities later in life. So make the most out of it and be prepared. 

How to Quit Bad Habits – A Practical Guide

 

We human beings often tend to enjoy things that aren’t good for us both mentally and physically. While the majority of us acknowledge this, most of the time we don’t know how to quit bad habits. 

 

For every bad habit, there is a part that makes us think it’s good for us. For instance, we all know smoking is bad for us. But for a smoker, it’s easy to justify why they smoke. Nicotine stimulates the release of dopamine which makes the smoker feel good and reduces stress. This could easily be seen as a good thing about smoking. 

 

What causes bad habits?

 

Most bad habits stem from stress or boredom. It is a way our mind tries to escape from the feelings that arise from these. By having some sort of an external stimuli to focus on instead of the undesirable feelings that come with stress or boredom, we are able to escape them.

 

For instance, when you are bored, an activity like excessive consumption of social media or entertainment can help you ease down those feelings. When you’re stressed about something, one of the easiest ways to escape is eating some junk food or for smokers, lighting that cigarette. This is not good for us but can be hard to identify or stop while it’s happening at that moment.

 

What are the signs of a bad habit?

 

You know something is bad when you feel like you have no control over not doing it. Another sign is you have started to do it more often than not. Another easy way to to know a bad habit is if it is causing harm to yourself or others. 

 

If you start feeling like you do not know what to do to quit something, this could also be another sign that it is not good for you. There are many more signs of bad habits such as things that add no value to your life and things that you do to distract yourself from something.

 

The most important thing is to be aware when something is bad for you and learn how to quit bad habits.

Things you can do to quit bad habits. 

 

1. Find a reason why you want to change

 

This is the most important step in quitting bad habits. If you don’t have a very convincing reason to change something, chances are it will never happen. Think about all the things that you do that are bad for you which have become a habit, and think of a solid reason to let go of all those habits one by one.

 

2. Figure out the triggers – Both internal and external

 

The next step is to figure out the triggers that remind you to do these behaviors. For example, your morning cup of coffee could tell your mind that it’s time to light that cigarette. Watching a movie at home could remind you to get some junk food. Hanging out with a specific group of people can remind you to have a drink etc. 

 

While figuring out the triggers doesn’t itself help you quit bad habits, it can be a great start to bring more awareness into your actions leading to the right steps to ultimately quitting them.

 

3. Start with small steps instead of going cold turkey

 

Once you start becoming more aware of the triggers, now it’s time to start taking baby steps. An example would be whenever you feel like having a cigarette, instead of stopping yourself from smoking every time you could set a limit. 

 

For the first week, you could try having a smoke every other time you have the craving. So that means if you smoke once, then the second time instead of lighting that cigarette, think about why it’s bad for you and hang in without giving into it. Little by little your will power will get stronger and your mindset will start to transform. 

4. Replace the bad habit with another activity or behavior

 

When trying to quit bad habits, remember that you developed those bad habits in the first place for a reason. It did cater for some needs you have. It could be physical or mental. For example you ate unhealthy foods to cater for hunger. You smoked cigarettes to avoid feeling stressed etc.

 

Hence, you still need to fulfill these needs you have, but this time around you’re choosing to cater for it in an alternative and healthier way. If you feel like snacking when watching a movie, have some fruits or nuts that give you nutrition and energy. Instead of having a soda with your meal, opt in for a fresh juice. When you have the urge to smoke, take some deep breaths and drink some water and hang in for a bit until you see the urge losing its power over you. 

 

5. Accept that there will be ups and downs

 

One of the most important things you need to keep in mind when you try to quit bad habits is that it’s never a straight line. Some days, you will be able to keep up with your progress while other days you give in and take a step back. And that’s totally okay. We are all human and we will always make mistakes and fall behind. 

 

The difference between success and failure is, with success you found ways to get back up whenever you fell short and never stayed down. Develop this mindset early on and I assure you you can quit any bad habit that you really want to quit.

 

6. Share it with your close friends or family

 

I know it’s easier to just not tell anyone and show it to them once done. But when it comes to quitting bad habits, it can be extremely helpful to find a buddy who is trying to do something similar or share with a close friend or family member who will keep you accountable whenever you lose track and give in to your cravings.

7. Visualize yourself doing the new activities

 

Manifestation is real and I have seen it work countless times in my own life and from people close to me. When trying to quit bad habits, take the time to think about or visualize and see yourself already not having that cigarette, eating healthy foods and doing what’s best for yourself mentally and physically.

 

Be as specific as possible and try to visualize yourself doing exactly the alternative behavior you are trying to replace your bad habit with. If you can see it, you can achieve it.  

 

8. Don’t stop trying until you succeed

 

No matter how long it takes, don’t give up until you quit the bad habit that you wanted to quit. It could take you a month, or it could take you years. Someone else could have done it in much less time than you have already taken, it does not matter. 

 

Take as much time as you need to take, but just don’t give up. If you are consistent with your efforts, success is inevitable. 

 

What do you do with this information?

 

So now that you know so much about how to quit bad habits, where do you go from here? My suggestion is to spend the first few days doing some soul searching and look for the reasons you want to quit the bad habits you have. 

 

Next thing is to observe triggers, take note of these and accept what you have is a problem that needs to change. Once you’ve done that, follow the above steps and start implementing those strategies in a systematic and achievable way. 

 

And then comes the most important thing, no matter how many times you fail, keep trying. The only thing that’s in the way of you quitting those bad habits is your mindset and will power.

10 Best Habit Books of all time

 

Habits are considered as any activity that can be done with little to no effort or almost automatically. Building good habits requires time and effort until your mind has been trained to do that action more effortlessly. There are excellent books written about building habits over the years, but in this post, I have researched and reviewed the 10 best habit books of all time in my opinion. 

 

Below are the 10 best habit books of all time

 

1. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Summary

In this book, award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg taps into the scientific discovery of why habits exist and how they can be changed. By implementing groundbreaking intelligence and presenting a vast amount of knowledge through different narratives, Duhigg paints a new dimension of human nature and our potential to truly transform ourselves.

Why you should read:

• The key for regular exercise and lose weight
• How to raise exceptional children
• How to become more productive
• How to build revolutionary companies and social movements
• Achieve success and understand how habits work

 

Buy The Power of Habits

 

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Summary

Simply put, Atomic Habits will teach you how to build good habits, break the bad ones and get 1% better every day. If I could recommend just one book for a beginner to understand how and implement habit building, this would be it. The award winning author James Clear has compiled a comprehensive and practical guide using the four laws of behavior change.

Why you should read:

• Get inspiration from the stories of the best business leaders, Olympic gold medalists and award-winning artists
• How small habits create a big difference
• Focusing on your system (processes) rather than setting goals
• Learning to power your habits through identity
• Learning the habit loop

Buy Atomic Habits

 

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Summary

In this book, the author Stephen R. Covey argues over the importance of developing character over personality to achieve sustainable success. He brings forward 7 core habits that will lead you to develop the state of interdependence that yields the best results. These 7 habits are the keys to success for people across all walks of life. 

Why you should read:

• Learn the character ethic composed of the primary principles of character which happiness and success is based on
• Get insightful information on the 7 core habits that lead to happiness and success
• Learn to to adapt your inner core rather than the outside manifestations 

Buy The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

4. Drive by Daniel Pink

Summary

This New York Times best selling book gives the readers a whole new way of thinking about motivation. Written in a very provocative fashion, the author highlights the secret force behind high performance and satisfaction in both your personal and professional life. He also argues the parity between scientific findings and corporate actions and how it affects every aspect of life.

Why you should read:

• Learn the three elements of true motivation – autonomy, mastery and purpose
• Know smart techniques on how to put these elements into action
• Change how we think and transform the way we live.

Buy Drive 

 

5. Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg

Summary

This book is based on 20+ years of research at Stanford university by the author Dr BJ Fogg. The author explores the system of “Behavior Design” which is carefully crafted to crack the code of habit formation. This book is based on practical and immediately actionable methods based on Dr Fogg’s research and personal experience of coaching over 60,000 people. 

Why you should read:

• Learn 60 habits designed for reducing stress, increasing focus and sleeping better
• Feel good about your successes rather than feeling bad about your failures
• Know how to cultivate habits and make them stick by enforcing positive emotion and celebrating small successes.

Buy Tiny Habits

 

6. Mindset by Carol Dweck

Summary

Written by the world renowned psychologist Dr Carol Dweck, this book dives deep into her ‘mindset theory’ and explores how each of us either have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. It explores how our mindset affects our personal and professional life and how the same applies to cultures and organizations. This book shows how parents, teachers, managers and athletes can all utilize this idea and accomplish greatness.

Why you should read:

• Learn transformative insights into redefining success, build resilience and boost personal growth
• Move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset
• Be able to motivate the people you lead, teach and love to transform their lives.

Buy Mindset

 

7. Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin

Summary

In this book, New York Times Best Seller Gretchen Rubin presents all the approaches that work and provides the readers with a practical framework that allows them to easily understand their habits and change them for good. Backed with research and with a hint of humor, Better Than Before consists of core principles of habit formation and answers some of the most puzzling questions about habit formation.

Why you should read:

• Easy to understand and practical framework
• Get answers for complex questions you’ve always wondered
• Theories and approaches tested on real people including the author herself

Buy Better than Before

8. How to Change by Katy Milkman

Summary

A national bestseller, in this book author Katy Milkman who is a professor at Wharton School and has devoted her career to the study of behavior change puts forward the proven science of how to get from where you are to where you want to be. It includes a foreword from Angela Duckworth, the best selling author of grit. 

Why you should read:

• Shares strategic methods on how to overcome common barriers to change
• Learn how to change an uphill battle into a downhill one to win
• Understand that giving advice on something even if you are struggling with it can help you achieve more

Buy How to Change

 

9. The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp

Summary

Written by one of the world’s leading creative artists, Twyla Therp, this book dives deep into what it takes to make creativity into a habit and into your life. She explains how it is within reach for each and every one of us and that it is the product of preparation and effort. She has compiled 32 practical lessons based on her 35 year long career in the field of creative arts.

Why you should read:

• Overcome the painful first steps of coming up with ideas
• Finding stability of your work
• Get into the productive grooves 

Buy The Creative Habits 

 

10. Rewire by Richard O’Conner

Summary

In this book, Best selling author Richard O’Conner expands the ideas from his previous successful book Undoing Depression. He explains how we have two brains, a conscious deliberate self and an automatic self and teaches the readers how to train our automatic self  to ignore distractions, resist temptations and stop harmful responses. 

Why you should read:

• Gives a road map on how to overcome self destructive habits such as worrying and procrastination
• Learn valuable skills and habits such as mindfulness and self discipline
• Open ourselves to a happier and more successful life

Buy Rewire

 

Conclusion

This above list of best habit books of all time is based on my knowledge and hours of research and reading. However, there are a number of other great books written on this subject. The most important thing to know is that each and every author of the above best habit books has spent numerous hours and a lifetime of hard work and dedication to write them. 

If you want to learn about habit formation and making it stick, read through these reviews and make a decision to take the time to read and implement the strategies in any of these books of your preference. I am sure that you will find value in them and ultimately find success building the habits you have always wanted to cultivate. 

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission at no additional expense to you.*

10 Signs you need a Social Media Break

 

Social Media is great, no doubt about it. It has changed our lives so much that almost everything is on social media. We have come to learn so much about our world through social media. But sometimes, you need to listen to your inner self and be able to see the signs you need a social media break.

 

There is so much good to learn from social media, however, we need to always be aware that we only see what people want us to see on social media. If we use social media excessively, it is very easy to get caught up with the highlight reels of other people and start feeling inferior because our lives may not necessarily be as exciting as the things we see on social media.

 

For instance, we wake up one day and while scrolling through social media, see that our friend just bought his dream car or landed that dream job, our neighbor is having the time of their life while traveling through Europe, or our colleague just got engaged to the love of their life. This can easily cause us to think that our life isn’t going as great as it should be, especially if we are going through something at that particular time and struggling overall.

 

When it has come to a point where you start comparing your own life to the things you see without being aware of the things that happen in people’s lives behind closed doors, you start feeling like you’re not good enough and this can lead to a lot of things such as anxiety, mood swings, lack of motivation and many other mental conditions.

 

For this reason, it is very important to be able to read the signs you need a social media break. This will help you stay grounded, focused on your goals, and most importantly maintain good mental and physical health.

So what are some of the signs you need a social media break?

1. It’s the first thing you do as soon as you wake up and last thing you do before bed

 

We are all a little guilty of this very bad habit. While it’s okay to occasionally do this, if you find yourself caught up in this habit every day or even most days, start realizing this before it’s too late. And if you are already there, don’t beat yourself over it. Now that you’ve realized that this is the case in your life currently, make a conscious decision to take a break from social media to reset yourself and start fresh.

2. You constantly check your phone for notifications on social media

 

If you’re always sneaking at your phone hoping that you have some likes or notifications, then this may be a good sign that you need a social media break. Don’t let your life be dictated by the number of likes and comments you get on social media. 

3. You cannot enjoy anything without posting about it 

 

Do you get the urge to post about every nice meal you have, every sightseeing and every social occasion? If this is true for you, then it’s another sign you need to let your foot off that social media gas pedal and slow down. Take the time to enjoy what you cook or eat at a nice restaurant without having to share it with the whole world. When you’re at social events and family gatherings, be more present and fully embrace your people and their presence. 

4. You often check social media during work hours

 

If you work near a desk, then you might get a lot of flexibility sometimes on what work you actually do, even when you’re in your office. If you find yourself checking social media every hour or whenever you’re not working on a task, that’s not good. Start by being aware of this unhealthy habit and do something else whenever you do have some free time at work. You could read some helpful articles rather than checking social media.

5. You are on social media whenever you have free time

 

Let’s be honest, even if we are pretty busy people, chances are you have some window of free time during different times of the day. And this might be a good time to check social media to check what your friends and family have been up to. But if you find yourself utilizing every free minute you have to excessively scroll through social media, then this is definitely a sign that you need a break from it. 

6. You feel like other people’s lives are more exciting than yours

 

Another drawback of excessive social media use is starting to compare the best moments of other people’s lives to the most mundane moments of your own life. Remember, people do not often share the not so good parts of their life and only share the highlights or good things about their life. We only see what people choose to share with us. When you see these highlights of other people and think how much better their lives are compared to your own life, it’s very easy to start spiraling down a negative path that you don’t want to be in.

7. You have started to feel more anxious lately

 

Have you noticed that you have been feeling more anxious lately and don’t understand why? Reflect back to how much you have been using social media mindlessly. This could be one of the reasons for your anxiety and is a sure sign that there is good to be gained from taking a social media break.

8. You have trouble falling asleep at night

This is more common if you’re on social media just before bed. By stimulating your mind with all the data right before bed, it can become more difficult to fall asleep as well as sleep deeply. This can lead to you waking up feeling restless and exhausted. So ask yourself if you’ve been doing this and make a decision to take a short break from social media until you have fixed your sleeping habits.

9. You are easily getting frustrated seeing other people’s posts

 

Do you get irritated by seeing what other people share on social media? Sure we all do have our own judgements about what we see on social media. But it’s two different things to have your own judgment on something you don’t agree with and getting irritated by seeing these things. If you have noticed this, then this may be another sign you need a social media break.

10. You have lost focus at work and started missing deadlines

 

Another sure sign that you need a social media break is your performance at work. If you have lost focus and start missing deadlines at work, then this could be due to distractions you see on social media and because you have lost your motivation for more important things. 

 

Always remember, social media or any other technology should only be used to your advantage. You should never let anything else take over your life and well being. While social media is an amazing tool to stay connected to your community, be aware of what’s happening around the world and get inspiration, if you don’t have self discipline on how to use it to your advantage, it can lead to a lot of distress in your life.

 

So be smart and mindful, and use social media wisely.

How to Make Meditation a Habit

 

If you’re like most of us, you would probably understand how challenging sometimes it can be to make meditation a habit. Especially when you get started. However, it doesn’t always have to be that way. 

 

By changing how you think about meditation and your approach on how to make meditation a habit, you can overcome this very common hurdle and finally make meditation a part of your daily routine.

 

Not only will you feel great about this change, but as time goes you will also start seeing subtle changes in your life in a big way. Although difficult to explain in the beginning, you will understand why you meditate and how it is having a positive impact on your life overall.

 

Now the big question is:

 

How do we make meditation a Habit?

 

In order to make meditation a habit, below are some helpful tips to learn so that you can start meditating and eventually make it part of your daily routine.

• Start small

 

Making anything a habit can be hard if you’re trying to reach the pinnacle of it when getting started. Especially with something like a meditation practice, by trying to meditate for hours you see it as something difficult and inconvenient.

 

You may see on social media and the internet about monks, and spiritual gurus who claim to meditate for hours and have out of body experiences. While time and experience will only tell you if that’s true, your approach should be simple and small. Start out by trying to sit down and meditate for 5 minutes a day. If that sounds too much, set a timer and begin with just two minutes. What matters most is that you start.

• Commit to doing it once daily

 

Another important thing to consider is not having a goal on until when you are going to practice meditation. Don’t have a goal on when it should become a habit. But rather commit to doing it once a day no matter what. It could be just two minutes in the morning or evening whenever it is more convenient for you.

 

• Attach a cue or reminder

 

If you’ve read our post on how to create new habits, you will understand how important a cue or reminder can be to create new habits. By attaching a cue such as taking a shower in the morning or evening to meditation, you will be reminding yourself to meditate once you’re out of the shower and ready before you do anything else.

 

It’s a powerful way to inform yourself, that the next thing you need to do is your meditation practice before moving on to the next task. It doesn’t have to be a shower, you can pretty much make whatever is convenient for you as your cue.

• Set a dedicated time

 

It would be a lot easier to make meditation a habit if you set a dedicated time every day for your practice. It doesn’t need to be a specific time on the clock, but generally around the same time every day. Some people prefer to do it in the morning before starting their work day while others prefer the evening once they are done with work and as part of their evening routine.

 

It is up to you, but if you set this time it becomes a lot easier to get it done more consistently.

 

• Set a dedicated space

 

Another important thing is to set up a dedicated space for your meditation practice. You can find a small space in your home and create a space that is inviting and entices you to sit down for your practice.

 

A lot of people find it helpful to add some things like a nice rug, cushions, plants, and candles to make the space more relaxing, allowing you to go deeper into your practice. It also helps you feel more present and mindful while you’re doing your practice.

 

• Be flexible

 

While setting a dedicated time and space helps you keep up with your practice, sometimes this may not be possible. You may be traveling, or just have a day outside your normal routine. Rather than missing your practice because you missed the normal time and aren’t home, find any available time and a convenient place to make your practice happen.

• Don’t have any expectations

 

With the amount of information on meditation today, it can be very easy to have high expectations of what should happen when you meditate. Always remember meditation is a very personal practice and can be different for everyone. 

 

It is best not to have any expectations from your practice and go with the flow and see how it is helping you. Remember, meditation is not some mystical experience, rather it is a process of observing your thoughts without judging them. This allows you to learn more about yourself, find inner peace when you feel anxious, and overall become better at understanding your thought process.

 

• Read about the benefits

 

It is often helpful to learn about the benefits of meditation when trying to make meditation a habit. By understanding how it can help you, you are more likely to be motivated to continue your practice when things feel difficult.

 

Always remember, meditation has been around for so long and science is finally catching up and trying to provide evidence on how it helps us. There are numerous amount of research available today that proves how meditation rewires our brain and change us as a person.

 

• Join a support group

 

A community is always helpful no matter what we are trying to achieve in life. Connecting with like-minded individuals from all across the globe can help you stay motivated and keep up with your practice.

 

Nowadays, there are plenty of support groups both online and in-person that you could join to find inspiration while making friends who have common interests.

 

• Journal about your meditation practice

 

Journaling has been proven as a very helpful practice in mindfulness. Taking the time to write about your meditation practice and your thought process can help you understand yourself better and be inspired to continue growing in your meditation practice.

How long does it take to make meditation a Habit?

 

Research suggests that habit formation is not a one size fits all process and could take on average anywhere between 66 days or a little over 2 months for a person to feel like it can be done effortlessly.

 

Hence, the best would be not to have any expectations on when it should become an automatic process and commit to making it happen at least once a day. By doing this, you’re consciously wiring your brain to focus on the process rather than a goal and this is how meditation should be.

 

Key Takeaway

 

The key takeaway from this post should be that meditation is a very personal experience for anyone and should be done as an authentic experience. Learn from the above tips and I promise you, you will be able to make meditation part of your daily routine.

Habit vs Routine: Understanding the difference between Habit and Routine

 

In our journey of self-improvement, we come across so many different ideas, concepts, and guides. It’s not uncommon to get overwhelmed by the amount of information about personal growth and self-improvement. Understanding the difference between habits vs routine is one of the best things you can learn early on to avoid getting caught up with all the information available online. 

 

What is the difference between Habit vs Routine? 

 

The difference between habit vs routine is that a habit is a behaviour that your mind has learned to do with little to no thought or in other words almost automatically. A routine is an intentional behavior or action or a number of them done to achieve a goal, often in the long term.

 

A cue or a trigger is all that is needed for a habit to be done. For instance, just waking up alone is a cue to go brush your teeth. Or, going to work is a cue to grab your morning cup of coffee. However, for a routine, you need to be deliberate and push yourself to do an action more intentionally. For example, your morning run or workout is a routine rather than a habit. 

 

Now this doesn’t mean that for simple reference you should never say I am going to make working out a habit. As long as you understand that habits are more simple and automatic while routines are more deliberate and intentional, you’ll be fine. What matters the most is that you actually do it.

 

What is a Habit?

 

Now that we have defined a habit, let’s dive a little deep into what makes a habit what it is. Any action good or bad done without much thought is a habit. The most important factor of a habit is that it usually is something done with ease and doesn’t take much energy. Over your lifetime you will develop so many habits both good and bad. Drinking enough water is a good habit that you can learn for a healthier life while smoking is a bad habit you can pick up which can be very hard to give up.

 

Any habit whether good or bad, is triggered by a cue. Smokers can agree that an action as simple as having a meal or ordering a cup of coffee is a cue to light up your next cigarette. So it’s up to you to live in such a way that you have more cues to do good habits than bad ones.

 

What is a Routine?

 

Sometimes, a routine is what leads to forming a habit. However, it is not always as simple as that. Not every action can become a habit. Routines require more energy and discipline for it to happen consistently. If not consistent it really does not qualify for a routine. Like the word itself, a routine only becomes what it is with consistency. Hence, actions such as writing, exercising, and learning are more of a routine than a habit. 

 

A routine can also be more than one action. For instance, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, meditation, and reading followed by breakfast can be your morning routine while your daily run or workout can be your exercise routine. The discipline of building routines and habits are very dynamic and different for every person.

 

Is Routine a Habit?

 

A routine is not always a habit but a habit is most of the time a part of a routine. There isn’t such a fine line between habit vs routine. It is something you need to think about and learn a little bit more to understand. This is in no way to compare the two, but to understand the difference between them.  

 

Why is it so essential to understand the difference between habit vs routine?

 

Understanding the difference between habit vs routine becomes so important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very important that you do not have unrealistic expectations on your journey of self-improvement. Activities such as daily exercise and working on your goals are always going to remain a routine rather than a habit. If you do not understand the difference between the two there are higher chances of you calling it quits because exercise always seems hard and never became automatic. If you understand the difference between habit vs routine, you are more likely to understand what it takes to power through ups and downs and maintain a healthy routine of actions designed toward achieving your long-term goals.

 

Another important reason is that by understanding the difference, you will become more mindful of your daily actions and see the bigger picture more clearly. This helps you design a more realistic routine of actions and know not to worry too much when sometimes things become a little harder. Remember, success is a result of small daily actions that compound over time. This is a key piece a lot of people miss when it comes to building habits and routines. 

 

What should be your key takeaway from reading this post about the difference between habit vs routine?

 

The most key takeaway from this post should be the fact that it is very important to not be discouraged when what you wanted to make a habit out of ends up becoming much harder than you thought and that some activities will always require deliberate action from you to make it happen. 

 

Another important thing to learn is that not all good habits require the same amount of effort to do with relative ease and you’re better off keeping the rest of harder activities such as exercise and working on your goals as routines. By doing this, you are creating a mental cue to trigger a response within you when you don’t feel like doing something. This will remind you of the importance of getting yourself to do it even if you don’t feel like it.

 

I hope that by reading this post, you understood the difference between habit vs routine and learn to know when it matters the most. Remember, the whole point of making the narrow distinction between the two is not to pick up a debate or argument, but to optimize your action plan of daily habits and routines toward achieving your life goals. So do not let anyone stop you from becoming the best version of yourself you chose to be. 

Daily Habits to Improve Mental Health

 

Today, we live in such a fast paced world where success is measured by output, money and glamorous careers. These measures can often lead to burnout, stress and high levels of anxiety.

The importance of daily habits to improve mental health is at an all time high.

WHO defines Mental health as a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. 

As adults we are faced with so many new challenges such as rising prices of living, competitive job markets, family commitments and so many more responsibilities which require your attention at all times. Juggling all these responsibilities very often leads to negligence of our mental health.

How to know when your mental health is diminishing?

 

If you feel burned out and feel like you’re having mood swings and a general feeling of anxiety, chances are you’re already experiencing earlier stages of diminishing mental health and well being. When you’re going through this, you may feel demotivated, stressed, lethargic, anxious and low levels of energy.

While it’s okay to feel all of these things occasionally, if it’s been happening more consistently then it could be a sign that your mental health is being compromised.

Why mental health is so important

 

When your mental health is on the decline, it is very easy to feel demotivated and lose focus on important things such as your family, career, business and health. When these things are not being taken care of, it can easily spiral out of control. And before you know it you’re on the verge of losing your job, start having serious issues in your family and relationships and start getting sick more often.

All of these things can cause more distress and take you to a dark place that none of us want. Hence it is very important to have a routine to find balance in your life and take care of your mental health. 

The good news is there are many simple daily habits to improve mental health. Below are some things you can try to incorporate into your life.

Daily habits to improve mental health

 

• Get enough sleep

 

This is one of the most overlooked yet critical parts of being human. Our bodies are designed to function properly only with adequate rest. In today’s digital age, it is very easy to get carried on and scroll through your phone or watch something until you doze off. This is one of the worst habits that may be keeping you from getting the adequate amount of sleep to wake up the next day feeling well rested.

If you find yourself feeling tired and sleepy the next day, take a moment to check in with yourself and see how much you slept the night before and make a conscious decision to keep away from all sorts of screens at least an hour before you sleep.

 

• Wake up early

 

Waking up early just might be the most important habit when it comes to mental health. Today, there is scientific research on the benefits of waking up early. It gives you the extra time in the morning for yourself to not rush, and be more mindful. You also get the extra time to do some exercise to kick start your day, have a hearty breakfast and most importantly get some productive work done before the hustle and bustle of the morning rush.

 

• Don’t check your phone as soon as you wake up

 

I think this is a habit that this generation as a whole has acquired. In the morning, when your mind is rested and fresh, the last thing you want to do is feed it with information and content that comes from social media that may be unrealistic. It can cause you to start your day on the wrong foot by comparing the most mundane moments of your life to the highlight moments people share about their lives on social media. It can lead to dissatisfaction about where you are in life and get your mood down before you even start the day.

• Meditate

 

Meditation is one habit that gave me mental stability and allowed me to start thinking clearly. It really does allow one (with regular practice of course) to clear their mind and have a more calm and disciplined approach towards your life. If you want to improve your mental health, I highly recommend you to start with a short meditation practice once a day even if it’s for 5 minutes a day. Once you start getting into the habit, you can gradually increase the time. If you don’t know much about meditation, you may find this post on meditation for beginners helpful.

 

• Read

 

There is a vast amount of knowledge in the world’s libraries. Whatever subject you may be interested in, you can be sure that there are numerous books, research papers and articles written on it. Mental health and wellbeing is one of the most discussed and studied subjects in the world today, thanks to psychology. There are so many books and other sources of helpful information you can find in bookstores as well as online. 

 

Taking the time to read daily about mental health can give you valuable knowledge that can transform the way you think, feel and act, and improve your mental health.

 

• Journal

 

Another daily habit you can cultivate to improve mental health is journaling. It doesn’t take a lot of time out of your day. You can choose to write for just 5 minutes daily at a time convenient for you. By writing down your thoughts just as it is, it helps you understand yourself better and helps you deal with negative thoughts in a healthier way. Today, there is enough scientific research done on the benefits of journaling. 

 

• Eat nourishing food

 

Just like our body, our mind also needs the right kind of fuel. If you’re not eating an adequate amount of nourishing food, your mental health will slowly deteriorate even if you may not be aware of it in the beginning. So, if you want to improve your mental health and well being, make a conscious effort to learn about healthy food that is good for your mind and body and try to incorporate a healthy diet into your lifestyle.

• Stay hydrated

 

Just like food, your mind and body also needs hydration. When we are busy, it’s very easy to forget to drink enough water. If you’re not drinking enough water you are more likely to get headaches and other issues that can lead to poor mental health. Therefore, it is very important to ensure you are drinking enough water throughout the day. It’s best to carry your own bottle of water when you’re going to work so that you know how much water you’re drinking.

• Exercise

 

Daily exercise has shown to give us so many health benefits from increased energy levels to enhancing your mood, longevity and reducing the risk of chronic illnesses. Moreover, exercise also improves brain function and helps improve your sleep. All these can lead to better overall mental health and quality of life.

• Spend time with your people

 

Humans are social creatures. While not entirely dependent on other people, surrounding yourself with your tribe of people can greatly enhance your mental health. So make the effort to connect and meet up with close friends and family as often as possible. When you regularly support and show up for the people in your life, most of the time they will do the same. 

 

Conclusion

 

Mental health is something that you should work on consistently and taking the right steps can get you a long way. In today’s world, it’s easy to get into a spiral of negativity and comparing yourself to others. 

 

If you want to achieve your goals in life, it’s important you stay in good mental health. Without good mental health it will be very hard to put in consistent daily effort to build your dream life. I hope this article will inspire you to take things into your own hands and start implementing one by one. You’ve got this!

12 Best Books to read for success

 

Success is the result of a lot of small things done consistently. And a key element of that is gaining the required knowledge. If you look into the lives of the most successful people in the world, you will find one common trait. And that is that they read a lot. By reading the best books for success, they are able to constantly put themselves ahead of others and achieve greater levels of success.

The books in this list come from some of the most successful people themselves such as Sadhguru, Robin Sharma, Guy Kawasaki, Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins and many more.

These are amongst the world’s best spiritual teachers, personal development coaches and entrepreneurs. 

 

How this list of books was compiled

Success can be defined in many ways. What people think of success can vary from person to person and cultures to cultures as well. However, here in this post I try to define it by addressing the main aspects of a person’s life that I believe is responsible to structure success and inspire to be great.

Hence, the books recommended in this post covers the main aspects of a person’s life such as mental wellbeing, productivity and habits, finances, business & career and interpersonal skills.

I strongly believe that in order to be successful, you must consistently work on the above aspects of your life. 

 

Which books should I read for success?

So, below is the list of best books to read for success and inspire you to reach your full potential and achieve your goals in life.

 

Mental wellbeing

 

1. The Art of Happiness by His Holiness The Dalai Lama

The spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, The 14th Dalai Lama radiates joy and happiness wherever he goes. 

The Art of Happiness is a book that is a benchmark for readers under the genre of happiness and positive psychology. Through recorded conversations, stories and meditations, The Dalai Lama tells us how to overcome the struggles of daily life such as anxiety, insecurity, jealousy, relationships and the pursuit of wealth. Based on a rich history of Buddhist traditions and the forever green common sense, The Art of Happiness truly captures human challenges and how to overcome them. 

This book is without a doubt a must-read on your journey of self-discovery and personal growth.

2. Inner Engineering – A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Sadhguru

Yogi, Mystic and Visionary, Jaggi Vasudev popularly known as Sadhguru is in a class of his own when it comes to yoga, spirituality and well-being.

In this New York Times Best Seller, Sadhguru presents the readers with his time tested path to achieving joy and wellness through the ancient science of Yoga. 

Inner Engineering offers readers with a revolutionary way of thinking about our human mechanism and take charge of all of it’s faculties to achieve absolute well-being. 

 

Productivity and Habits:

 

3. The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

In this highly recommended book in the field of productivity, the best-selling author Tim Ferriss presents the readers with an entirely new way of breaking free from the cycle of 9-5. 

Acting as a blueprint for designing a step by step process for achieving greater levels of productivity and success, This best selling book teaches how the author went from 40,000$ per year and 80 hours per week to 40,000$ per month and 4 hours per week. It also teaches how to outsource small tasks and focus on the more important things and how to trade a long-haul career for short busts of work and frequent mini retirements.

4. Atomic Habits by James Clear

In this book by one of the world’s leading habit experts James Clear, the readers can grab a proven framework to improve your everyday life. The author reveals practical strategies you can use to form good habits, break the bad ones and master the art of habits to help you achieve the levels of productivity and success you desire.

Read this book to learn and cultivate new habits, overcome lack of motivation, get back up whenever you fall short and create an environment around you that is essential for success.

5. The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma

World renowned leadership and performance expert Robin Sharma truly gifted the world with this book. He introduced this concept over 20 years ago and spent 4 years of his life writing this book.

In this book you will discover the early rising habit that has helped so many people achieve new levels of success in their life and truly upgrade their levels of joy and happiness. Presented as a story of two strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, this book has a vast amount of knowledge and lessons to take away. 

 

Finance:

 

6. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

This book is easily amongst the best personal finance books ever written. Even 25 years later, it’s being published in multiple languages around the world. The author Robert Kiyosaki takes you on a personal journey of financial advice he received from his best friend’s father – Rich Dad and his actual father – Poor Dad and how the advice he got from both of them shaped his views on money and investing.

This is truly a remarkable book that you should read if you want some priceless advice about personal finance and growing your wealth.

7. Money: Master The Game by Tony Robbins

Tony Robbins is amongst the most inspirational people of our time. His success is notable in the field of personal development. People from all walks of life have credited him for giving them the tools and inspiration to transform their lives.

This New York Times best seller is backed by extensive research and interviews of some of the most successful investors today. If you want to achieve true financial freedom this book is a great place to get started.

 

Business & Career:

 

8. Good to Great by By James C. Collins

This book has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. A truly remarkable book in the field of corporate success, Jim Collins shares the key determinants of greatness that are required for a company to make the leap from good to great.

Based on comprehensive study, research and comparisons, this book will give invaluable advice if you aspire to one day create a business and take it to new heights of success.

9. Zero to One by Peter Thiel

In this book, the author Peter Thiel talks about how to build companies that explore new business models that are unique in a world where technology is reaching new heights everyday. However, the author shows that success can be possible in any area or industry by learning the most important skill every leader must master: learning to think for yourself.

Showing an optimistic view of the progress of the American future and a new way of thinking about innovation, this book is a must read for any aspiring entrepreneur.

10. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

Another New York Times Best Seller, in this book the author Eric Ries shares a new approach that is being adopted by companies changing how they are built and new products are launched.

Read this book to learn how to create and manage successful startups in an age of technology and innovation. 

 

Interpersonal Skills:

 

11. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Out of this list, this is one of the books that has made a huge impact in my life. From career development to personal and family relationships, it has influenced the way I think and live. 

Perhaps amongst the most groundbreaking best sellers of all, How to win friends and Influence people teaches you to become more likable, convincing and inspire change in people without causing resentment.

12. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman

Based on solid brain and behavioral research, the author talks about why only IQ doesn’t translate into success. He explores the factors that come into play such as self awareness, self discipline and empathy. 

Although we pick up so much from our childhood experiences, emotional intelligence is a skill that we can learn and harness throughout adulthood and have a direct impact on our work, health and relationships. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about emotional intelligence and wellbeing. 

 

Key takeaway

 

There are so many different varieties of lists of best books to read for success out there. And it is my humble opinion that there is so much value to be gained from these lists and more importantly by reading the books on those with an intention of learning and improving your life.

I have made it easier by breaking down the list into genres so that you can start with a book that is in an area of your life you feel like needs the most improvement but don’t know how.

I hope this list of best books to read for success will inspire you to start up a new habit in your life and continue to grow and learn as a person. 

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a commission at no additional expense to you.*

Reading Habits of successful people – How to gain the most out of reading

 

Knowledge is Power. This saying goes a long way. It really is true, the world’s libraries and bookstores are full of wisdom and knowledge waiting to be discovered. The reading habits of successful people continue to put them ahead of the rest.

The most successful people reportedly spend hours daily reading and educating themselves. Moreover, they love to share and educate others about what they learn. Through this process of learning and sharing, they engrave this priceless knowledge in their own brain, ensuring that the time they spend on reading is an investment for their future.

So what are the reading habits of successful people?

Anyone can read, and some people read a lot but it doesn’t always mean they are successful or wealthy. There is a lot more to reading, and how you should do it if you want to gain the most out of the time spent reading. Below are some best reading habits of successful people that give them an edge over the rest.

Understanding why it is so important

The most successful people understand the importance of reading and do not read just as a mere hobby. I am not saying reading as a hobby is bad in any way. If you read as a pass time that is totally fine too. But, if you’re committed to spending multiple hours a day reading, it would be smart to understand the reason you are reading so much. 

By understanding the reason, you are more likely to cultivate the reading habits of successful people. 

Choosing the right mix of books to read

You could read a book a week and not know much about the things that gear you towards success. The type of books you read are also very important. Reading novels, biographies and fiction may be enjoyable but the real knowledge you are seeking are in other genres such as personal development, habit formation, business, finance etc. 

Successful people maintain a healthy mix of books they read throughout the year ensuring both  keeping up with the habit while gaining a vast amount of knowledge.

Setting goals

Like any other habit, reading also requires planning, effort and consistency. After all, you aspire to cultivate the reading habits of successful people. You dont want to start a book only to pick it up once a week and take half a year to complete it.

Hence it is important you set a goal of how many books per year and amount of daily reading you can commit to.

Dedicating reading hours

You see people reading anytime and anywhere. While reading for leisure like this is a great way to keep yourself up to date with the latest news, reading for true knowledge and understanding requires more focus.

The most successful people in the world have dedicated reading hours such as early morning and before bed to ensure that their reading time is without distractions enabling them to have a better understanding of what they read. 

Being flexible 

While it’s important to have dedicated time to read every day, we all get busy sometimes and have to go off schedule to make time for urgent things that come up. This doesn’t mean you should skip reading that day. Instead, the most successful people are flexible and sometimes read on the go as well.

Catching up on news, latest business trends and ideas is an excellent way to utilize some time when you are traveling or on the go.

Thinking critically & asking questions

Reading for leisure is definitely very enjoyable. But the most successful people take the time to think critically and question what they read to have a better understanding. This is one of the most important reading habits of successful people that sets them apart. By thinking critically about what they read, they develop a better understanding of the subject. 

Lessons to be learned from the reading habits of successful people

I have taken the time to do a little research into the lives of some of the most successful people on the planet to understand what their reading habits are like and what we can learn from them.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk as we know is one of the richest people in the world and a successful entrepreneur who has founded some of the most innovative companies in history. Before he became a successful entrepreneur and founder of multiple companies, Elon Musk was reading up to 10 hours a day. 

He has gained a vast amount of confidence and skills through reading which has helped him become the successful entrepreneur he is today.

Warren Buffet 

One of the most successful investors and businessmen of all time Warren Buffet reportedly spends up to 80 percent of his working day reading books, news, and business documents.

He has said that knowledge builds up like compound interest and attests to reading for a lot of success in his life. 

He also credits reading and thinking for his well thought through decisions in life and business which ultimately translate into success.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates needs no introduction, he was the richest person in the world for a really long time. Nowadays, he spends more time doing philanthropy work through his foundation. 

Bill Gates’s biggest advice to young people is to read a lot and discover a skill that they enjoy. He believes that reading is essential to discover a variety of interests that you can use to make a difference in the world. He reads up to 50 books per year and takes a collection of books when he goes on vacation.

Through the advice of the above and so many more successful people in the world, it is very clear that reading is one of the best habits you can cultivate as a young person if you want to become successful too. 

Today, it is even easier to gain access to a vast amount of books, articles, research papers and news that can keep you educated, well informed and make you smarter every day. Remember it is the daily reading that will build up over time giving you the knowledge you need to make smarter decisions in life and become the success you were meant to be.

Successful People Habits

 

Have you ever wondered what successful people do on a daily basis? I took the time to research the lives of some of the most successful people on the planet so that you too can learn and implement successful people habits this year.

 

What are successful people habits?

 

Successful people habits are habits that contribute the most to a person’s success in life. Hence this can be a range of things. Aside from a bit of luck, what makes someone successful are the habits they are able to cultivate throughout their lives.

Here are 10 of the most cultivated Successful people habits

 

Rising Early

 

Rising early is one of the most important habits you should cultivate early on in your adult life. Not only will this directly contribute to your success later on in your life, but it will also help you create a powerful morning routine that will allow you to become more productive. 

A lot of successful people say that they wake up at least 3 hours before their normal work and it allows them to do things such as meditating, planning their day, or even giving themselves a quick workout to boost their energy levels.

 

Meditation

 

Relaxation and mindfulness will give you the patience and strength to wither the challenges that come along with growth and change. When you are trying to pursue your goals, there will be many ups and downs. Having a daily meditation will allow you to be more grounded and focused on what you want to achieve in life. 

 

Personal Care

 

The most successful people in the world make the time to take care of themselves. This may come in the form of grooming, a skincare routine, or having a spa day when you feel burned out. They understand that how you look and feel directly impacts your focus and productivity which ultimately translates into success. 

 

Reading

 

Reading is one of the most common successful people habits shared amongst the majority of successful people in the world. Successful investor and one of the wealthiest people in the world, Warren Buffet spends up to 80% of his day reading. The amount of knowledge to be gained from reading is priceless, and the more knowledge you have, the higher the chance of you achieving success in life.

 

Exercise

 

Success is a result of a lot of things done right. And your physical body is no exception. The most successful people in the world make the time to exercise on a daily basis or at least multiple times a week. How you feel in your physical body has a direct impact on your focus and productivity levels. Hence, always make it a priority to exercise daily or multiple times a week to ensure that your body feels great and you are in the best shape to go out there and pursue your goals.

 

Taking Action

 

All your goals and plans can be truly great. But without consistent action, it’s just going to be potential. The most successful people in the world all have this in common. They go after their goals fiercely on a daily basis. If you were to cultivate a habit out of this list to start with, this would be the most important successful people habit to focus on. 

 

Being consistent

 

One thing that sets the most successful people in the world apart from the rest is their consistency of efforts. A lot of us have great plans and even the right action all figured out, but fall short when it comes to being consistent in pursuing them daily. The most successful people are highly resilient and continue their work consistently despite all the challenges and setbacks they face. 

 

Networking

 

No matter what your goals and dreams are and what success looks like to you, chances are you are going to need a lot of people’s help and support to see that dream become a living reality for you. Hence, making the right connections have become ever more important than ever in today’s world. The most successful people in the world surround themselves with the right kind of people and continue to grow their network. 

 

Pursue their goals

 

How success is defined can be different to a lot of people. But one thing stays common despite that. And that is the fact that successful people pursue their goals consistently no matter what. They understand that the number one factor contributing to their success is how much effort is put into pursuing their goals. And this is something that is non negotiable. 

 

Take time to plan and organize

 

You can have the best ideas that are very likely to be successful. But, without proper planning and organizing it is very unlikely to reach the levels of success you want it to. That is because for anything to work, it needs to be organized and planned in a way that it can grow the way it’s supposed to. 

The most successful people in the world understand this and take the time to plan and organize their day. You can either do it in the morning or before you end your work day. What’s important is that you know what you want to and how to achieve it, and you have a solid plan to show you the way.

 

Why should you cultivate successful people habits?

 

If you want to succeed in life and make your dream a reality, you need to develop successful people habits. Only by cultivating them, will you have the required kind of discipline that is needed to pursue your journey towards success and wealth.

 

What can you do to start cultivating successful people habits?

 

Like everything great, cultivating successful people habits also requires a systemic effort and discipline. If you start doing everything at once, chances are you will feel burned out and quit within a few days or months. But, the secret to success is consistent effort over a long period of time. 

In order to achieve that, you will need to start small and build your way up. Everyone is different but what’s common is we are all human and can only do so much. So to reduce the likelihood of quitting, I suggest you take one or two habits out of this which you feel aligns the most with your goals and start working on them on a daily basis. 

Once you feel confident that certain things have become a habit, you can add more and continue to do the same. Remember, a year can change a lot. So, pickup these most successful people habits and keep cultivating them one by one.

Best Morning Habits for Success

 

What you do in the morning can have a big impact on the rest of your day. By purposefully creating and doing the best morning habits for success, you constantly put yourself ahead daily.

 

Little steps taken like this every day will eventually make you successful in achieving your goals no matter what. Real success is not achieved overnight, but through daily grind and overcoming obstacles.

 

If you’re the type of person who shows up for your goals in some way or another no matter how small it might be, give yourself some praise. It’s the mentality and persistence that ultimately makes you successful.

 

By taking the time to learn and implement the best morning habits for success, you can create a powerful morning routine that works for you. This daily morning routine will give structure to your day and give you clarity on what you need to do to achieve your life goals.

 

How do I make myself successful in the morning?

 

If you are serious about personal growth and achieving your goals, having the best morning habits for success can keep you focused and motivated to keep going every day.

 

We are all unique in our own ways and hence no one morning routine can be the best morning routine for success. Therefore, you should improvise what you learn in the below framework to create a morning routine that works best for you.

 

These aspects of a morning routine are designed to nurture your mind, body and soul on a daily basis, so that you are able to perform at your peak.

Become an early bird

 

If you’re currently waking up with just enough time to rush through everything and get to work, this might be affecting your focus and productivity at work. Waking up a few hours before your work commitments allows you to give yourself the time to prepare for the day and ultimately achieve more when you actually start your work day.

 

Now, if you’re waking up at 8am right now and going to work at 9am at the moment, you shouldn’t aim to start waking up at 5am immediately. Instead, try waking up 10 mins earlier than you are right now and slowly work your way up to waking up earlier every day.

 

Express Gratitude

 

As soon as you wake up, remind yourself how lucky you are to be blessed with another day to experience life and think of a few things that you are grateful for. By doing this little practice daily, you train your mind to see things from a different perspective.

 

Instead of focusing on what you lack, you can focus on what you can do with all the things and opportunities that you currently have. This allows you to develop a mindset that is already content and calm while actively working towards your goals.

 

Drink a glass of water

 

If you didn’t know already, about 60-70% of your body is water. After a waterless night of sleeping, drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning helps to hydrate your body and flush out the toxins in your body.

 

Brain fogs and headaches are linked to dehydration. Drinking a glass of water in the morning can give you a mental boost and help you stay more focused and alert.

 

Exercise

 

There are numerous benefits of exercising in the morning. With fewer distractions, you are more likely to complete your workout with better form and focus.

 

It also gives you a boost of energy that can last throughout the day allowing you to be more productive and focused. Moreover, morning exercise has also been linked to better food choices and eating habits.

 

Research also shows that people who exercised in the morning were able to get better and more deep sleep.

Take a cold shower

 

A cold shower has become part of a lot of people’s morning routine, and with good reason. It imposes a certain amount of stress on your body which overtime makes you better at handling stressful situations.

 

The cold also stimulates deeper breaths and has been linked to better alertness and increased will power.

 

Meditate

 

Long gone are the times when meditation was seen as something practiced only by mystics and holy men. Today, scientific studies are showing that meditation can have many benefits such as increased awareness and alertness, give you inner peace and clarity, improve your focus and productivity and so much more.

 

Having a morning meditation practice regularly can give you a sense of clarity and purpose and prepare you to face your day with a healthier outlook on life. This ultimately translates into you being more consistent in your drive towards your goals in life.

 

Read

 

A common habit amongst the most successful people in the world is reading. Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors and one of the richest in the world spends as much as 6 hours per day reading books and newspapers.

 

There’s so much knowledge to be gained from reading. You don’t have to read 6 hours a day to reap the benefits of it. Even if you can integrate 15 minutes of reading every morning, you’d be surprised how much you can read and learn in just one year.

 

Journal

 

Journaling is one of the most effective ways of expressing yourself as well as letting go of the negative thoughts that is holding you back. Journaling is a great wellness tool that can help you reduce stress while discovering so many amazing things about yourself.

 

Grab a journal and a pen and try to write down whatever comes to your mind for 5 minutes every morning. You could also do the same on a laptop or computer if you prefer to.

Eat a healthy breakfast

 

Food is fuel for the body. If you don’t get the right kind and amount of fuel for your body, you shouldn’t expect it to perform at its peak.

 

A healthy breakfast is very important if you want to achieve great things in life. By ensuring that your body gets the essential nutrients, you will have more energy and focus that translates into you being able to give your very best towards achieving success.

 

Plan your day

 

Failing to plan is planning to fail. If you want to achieve success you need a plan. Both long term and short term planning will ensure that you know exactly what you need to do and when to do it.

 

Right before you start your work day, take some time to plan out the things that you need to do today that will take you closer to your goals in life. This process doesn’t have to be too complicated as you can very easily write it down on a daily planner or habit tracker like this one.

 

Some final thoughts on the best morning habits for success

 

 

A morning routine is different for different people and sometimes even a little different on certain days. But your effort towards creating, improvising and maintaining a morning routine should remain the same. Even if you are unable to address all parts of the above habits for success every day, do your best and most importantly, stay consistent.

 

If you make sure that you create and purposefully execute a morning routine that works for you, there’s nothing stopping you from achieving your goals in life.

How to take a Break from Social Media and Why you should do it

 

“In this digital age that we live in, it has become more important now than ever, to learn how to take a break from social media. Excessive use of social media can cause feelings of inadequacy, sadness and even depression.”

 

We live in a time where almost everything is just a fingertip away. All you need to do is take out your smart phone and search for it on the internet. While this is very convenient, it can also cause a lot of problems if we do not learn how to use it mindfully.

 

Social media is where most people spend most of their time on the internet. It’s easy to use and is designed in such a way that you spend more time on it.

 

Now, if you’re someone who uses your time on the internet to learn new skills and habits, that’s great. But if you’re someone who spends countless amounts of time on social media, it might be doing you some harm that you’re not aware of yet.

 

If this is you, maybe you need to take a step back and think about taking a social media break. Especially, if you’ve been feeling like you’re not enough or think that other people’s lives are so much better compared to yours.

What is a Social Media Break?

 

A Social Media break is a period of time where a person refrains from using social media to varying extents. The time frame and what apps will be included is defined either by that person or maybe with a help of a friend or in some cases a psychologist.

 

Research shows that there are 4.62 billion Social Media users which converts to over 93% of all internet users. This is number is only going to keep growing and we can see what the future holds.

 

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Social Media. It has transformed how we interact with the world and has allowed individuals and businesses to take their success one step ahead with global reach and networking.

 

All this is fantastic but unfortunately, today there is a lot of studies that that suggest Social Media can have negative effects on our mental health.  

 

Learning when and how to take a break from social media is so important when it comes to reaping the benefits of the many possibilities it creates, without compromising your mental wellbeing.

 

Is a Social Media Break good for you?

 

Whether or not a social media break is good for you is highly dependent on your current social media habits. If you’re someone who is very self-disciplined and are sure that you are using social media to a healthy extent, then maybe you don’t need a social media break.

 

But if you’re struggling a bit with sleep due to too much screen time, or feeling like your life isn’t as good as someone else’s and constantly keep going back to social media to distract yourself from whatever maybe going on in your life, then a social media break maybe just what you need to find some mental clarity and balance in your life.

How to take a break from Social Media?

 

If you want to take a social media break and give yourself a little digital detox, below are some practical tips on how to take a break from social media.

 

Set a Goal

 

This applies to pretty much anything in life if you seriously want to achieve it. Before you decide to take social media break, think about what you want to achieve from it.

 

Maybe you want to utilize the time you waste on social media to learn a new habit or craft. Or maybe you just want to avoid scrolling on the screen mindlessly. Or else it could be that you don’t want to see all the negativity and hatred in the world and just want a break from all that.

 

Set the boundaries

 

Before you start your social media break, you should set up some ground rules. It is very important to set a time frame as well as what social media apps you are going to stop using during this period of time.

 

The boundaries you set are entirely up to you and it’s totally fine to even have a rule where you are able to check certain apps for a limited amount of time once a week or so depending on why you are taking this break from social media.

 

Delete the Apps

 

Now that you’ve set your goal and made the rules, it’s time to delete the apps that you won’t be using during this time. If you are very self-disciplined, then you can actually just log out and keep the apps if you’re sure you can refrain from logging in.

 

However, just deleting the apps would be a better idea as there are less chances of you being tempted to sign back in for a quick look.

Let your close friends and family know

 

Once you’ve made the decision to take this break from social media, it is very important to let your close friends and family know. Otherwise they might reach out to you on social media and your absence may get them worried.

 

Just tell them you’re on a social media detox and that you can be reached via a direct message or phone call during this period. This way, the people who matter to you won’t have to worry about you.

 

Learn a new habit or skill to replace all the free time you have now  

 

This time away from social media is a great opportunity for you to learn a new habit or skill. Take the time to think about what hobbies you had as a child or just think about something you wish you knew how to do. There are plenty of great things you can start to learn such as:

 

• A yoga or meditation practice
• Start reading a book
• Declutter
• Write or draw
• Learn to play an instrument
• Start a small home garden

Why you should take a break from social media

 

The truth is social media has enabled us to do many amazing things. But unfortunately, most of us use it mindlessly just for entertainment purposes. If you are unable to use social media in a healthy manner, it’s probably time to put your phone away for a while and think.

 

Learning when and how to take a break from social media is a very important step toward your mental wellbeing and success in life.